UC Berkeley students, rally organizers and community members discussed demands Tuesday evening at an open forum in preparation for Thursday’s Day of Action for Public Education in protest of a plan that could increase student fees.
Rally co-sponsors Public Education Coalition and United Auto Workers Local 2865 union have included in their list of demands a reversal of recent fee increases, access to the university for undocumented students and staff and “a revision of current admissions policies to lift barriers faced by underrepresented students of color and working class students.”
A multi-year budget plan discussed by the UC Board of Regents at last week’s meeting that could increase student fees by up to 16 percent per year serves as a major impetus for the Day of Action and subsequent events planned for upcoming months.
“Many people are suffering silently and feel isolated because of the recent fee increases,” said Blanca Misse, an executive board member of the union. “We want to raise public awareness and fight back against the cuts and fee hikes.”
According to UCPD Lt. Marc DeCoulode, police will be monitoring the protest but are not worried about an uncontrollable situation.
“The Berkeley campus has activity frequently, so this kind of thing is not that unusual,” DeCoulode said.
He added that despite the publicity surrounding the event, it is hard to tell whether this event will be different from past rallies on campus.
According to Misse, the Day of Action will be the first of many organized rallies this academic year. The union and coalition have planned walkouts for early November before the regents meet to discuss the fee increase plan. The organizers intend to take their demands to Sacramento in the spring.
Yet many community members who attended the public forum expressed concern about the effectiveness of the rally, citing the need for many coordinated movements around the Bay Area in order for the groups’ demands to be heard and met. Centering the movement on campus, many said, may diminish the importance of the cause.
Zachary Aslanian-Williams, a UC Berkeley senior who said he will be participating in the rally, said the rally is a pre-emptive response to fee increases.
He added that public action is necessary to bring attention to decreased state funding.
Ricardo Gomez, a UC Berkeley senior and an organizer of the Day of Action, said he was confident that the efficacy of direct action by rally-goers would draw the attention of the regents and make them think twice before taking action on the multi-year budget plan.
“There is no other tactic that transforms people and completely changes how they view the world,” Gomez said at the forum.
Amruta Trivedi covers academics and administration.
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” draw the attention of the regents and make them think twice”
Is Gomez crazy? The Regents have been focused on this problem for years. They’ve reviewed the options over and over, but there’s nothing that will save us from a legislature that can’t solve its problems. If you want to know what the Regents are doing, ATTEND THEIR MEETINGS.
“could increase student fees by up to 16 percent per year”
This is only half the statement. Add “if the Legislature continues to slash UC’s support budget.” Why doesn’t the UAW shut down the State House?